Twelve Innings Brings Victory

Senior San Diegan Marcos Villescaz from San Diego was the hometown hero in BYU's victory over UNM. (Photo by Mark Philbrick/BYU Photo)

SAN -- Marcos Villezcas drove in Jeff Hiestand for the winning run Friday in a 3-2 BYU victory over New Mexico in the Mountain West Conference Preseason Tournament.

Villezcas' walk-off single between first and second with one out, scored Hiestand barreling around the bases from second in the 12th inning.

The Cougars improve to 10-16 overall and 1-2 in the MWC, while UNM's record is now 18-10 and 1-2, following Thursday's tough Lobo loss to Air Force in the tourney.

"You've gotta go, you've gotta go," yelled Coach Vance Law to Hiestand chugging around third. "When you battle like we did today and come through, it brought elation in our dugout."

Pinch-hitter Hiestand hit a two-out double to the centerfield alley, scoring Albuquerque's Seth Johnson from first to tie the game in the 12th, 2-2.

After losing in the first two rounds of the tourney to the pre-season number one and two seeds, UNLV and TCU, the Cougars battled back in a duel of pitchers.

Jesse Craig and Danny Ray Herrera produced near identical starts, striking out the last two batters of the first inning. Both tallied seven strikeouts through nine innings, with Craig giving up five hits and Herrera giving up eight.

"Herrera is the epitome of the crafty left-hander," said Law. "He has great command and keeps you off balance, but I was happy we didn't give up.

Craig was relieved by eventual winner Corland Andrews, 1-0, in the 10th inning. Damon Miller, 3-1, the eventual loser, replaced Herrera in the 10th on the mound for the Lobos.

"He (Andrews) is a great young man who has such a great attitude, but he has played a major role in the success we've had and has even generated some interest from pro scouts," said Law of the senior lefty.

That 10th inning came about when BYU's Kent Walton singled and advanced to third on an error, then tied the game at one-all off Ben Saylor's sacrifice fly in the bottom of the eighth.

New Mexico scored in the fourth when Jay Russell led off with a single. He advanced to third on Daniel Stovall's one-out single and scored on a bunt single by Matt Foote.

Stetson Banks beat out a bunt for a one-out single in the bottom of the 10th and stole second on the first pitch to Walton, the follow-up batter. But Banks was stranded with two shallow outfield flyouts.

Villezcas and Walton caught a liner and a deep fly ball, respectively, before a routine groundout via Villezcas ended the Lobo 11th.

Ian Hollick lofted a wind-aided solo home run in the 12th inning to lift the Lobos to a 2-1 lead.

The Cougars close the league tourney in a rematch against Utah on Saturday morning in a game that can be heard live locally on KOVO Radio 960 AM at noon.